Paris 2024

[Hobbes]

This is very good, to be fair

[Rosa]

The old dude, the balloon and Céline were worth hanging on for.

Indeed!

[emma_p]

The Eiffel Tower looks so beautiful tonight

[Disco]

This wide shot of the city looks amazing.

[rosy]

To say they didn't rehearse the thing all together, it's been very impressive.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I will not hear a word against them. Remember the entente cordiale, nay sayers!

[Pippedydeadeye]

London was immense, but it is in the past and we must give our neighbours their fleurs.

[overthehill]

I'm a bit emotional about Celine Dion sing Hymn a L'Amour. So glad to see she's recovered from that awful illness.

[Tsu]

Missed Celine, I gave up and came to bed.

[Hobbes]

Hmmm, overall a disjointed, odd and oftentimes dull affair, which did have some highlights which were very good, but I think it will be remembered for the wrong reasons (blue scrotum guy )

I loved the idea of using the whole of Paris for the opening ceremony, but as they just mentioned on BBC, a lot of it must have been really dull for the onlookers, as for most of the time nothing was necessarily happening where you were, so don’t think it really worked in practice.

If I had just been dropped here from outer space I don’t think that ceremony would have given me much of an insight into Paris or France apart from it’s architecture?

[Pippedydeadeye]

Let’s not forget that 2012 went proper weird with Brunel and the hospital beds. It meant a lot to us, but needed explaining to most others, I imagine.

[Hazey_Jane]

So we liked the horse, the old fella and the balloon.

Anyway let the games begin!

[sally maclennane]

Let’s not forget that 2012 went proper weird with Brunel and the hospital beds. It meant a lot to us, but needed explaining to most others, I imagine.

I said this about Rio, opening ceremonies must be like kids in that you think your own are amazing, and don't really understand the fuss about others :))

[Kenickie]

Nah, this was genuinely a complete load of shit. And no relevance to France for 95% of it. I don't mind countries doing stuff that seems bizarre but is celebrating themselves, but this was just boring nonsense.

[overthehill]

I didn't see - and therefore didn't 'get' why - Lady Gaga was involved at all, until I got home and realised that she had sung La Vie en Rose which, of course, she sang in A Star is Born. But I've just re-watched that and, if you love the Edith Piaf original, it's ... well, very Lady Gaga and not at all Edith Piaf.

On the other hand, I'm not a massive fan of Celine Dion, but I was so happy for her. That was a terrific performance - if a slightly odd choice of song. Mind you, all Edith Piaff's love songs were a bit tragic. :lol:

[overthehill]

Let’s not forget that 2012 went proper weird with Brunel and the hospital beds. It meant a lot to us, but needed explaining to most others, I imagine.

Am I remembering wrongly? Didn't they have Harry Potter's 'dementors' flying about above the hospital beds ... or did I just invent that? :lol:

[Ruby]

It's all been a bit rubbish really.

I watched it all. Honestly, quite bad. The mechanical horse was good and the balloon. It was probably great in person but didn't communicate well on the TV due to it being sorted of 'linear' - like that jubilee flotilla or the millennial river-of-fire thing. The scale of it was off - 20 people poncing about to out of date techno in the pissing rain didn't make a spectacle.

[lazzbo]

I didn't see - and therefore didn't 'get' why - Lady Gaga was involved at all, until I got home and realised that she had sung La Vie en Rose which, of course, she sang in A Star is Born. But I've just re-watched that and, if you love the Edith Piaf original, it's ... well, very Lady Gaga and not at all Edith Piaf.

On the other hand, I'm not a massive fan of Celine Dion, but I was so happy for her. That was a terrific performance - if a slightly odd choice of song. Mind you, all Edith Piaff's love songs were a bit tragic. :lol:

She sang Mon Truc en Plumes by Zizi Jeanmaire!

My French friends are raving about it all but they're wrong. :)) But I think they're feeling the same national pride we all enjoyed in 2012, so I'm gonna let them have it.

Looking forward to the swimming today!

[Hobbes]

Let’s not forget that 2012 went proper weird with Brunel and the hospital beds. It meant a lot to us, but needed explaining to most others, I imagine.

Am I remembering wrongly? Didn't they have Harry Potter's 'dementors' flying about above the hospital beds ... or did I just invent that? :lol:

Yes, the NHS is quite well known as an institution in other countries, plus that section celebrated a lot of our well known literature, so I think plenty of people would have seen things they recognised there.

Credit where it’s due, the 2012 games are often mentioned in lists of top opening ceremonies, and not just by Brits, and I don’t think the Paris one will be, sadly.

[overthehill]

On the other hand, I'm not a massive fan of Celine Dion, but I was so happy for her. That was a terrific performance - if a slightly odd choice of song. Mind you, all Edith Piaff's love songs were a bit tragic. :lol:

She sang Mon Truc en Plumes by Zizi Jeanmaire!

Oooops! There you go. That's what comes of watching in a crowded Irish pub. I'm not familiar with Mon Truc en Plumes. I'm off to find a video. :))